


Without Words 2 - The Sequel

by Langbrae



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28133382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Langbrae/pseuds/Langbrae
Summary: Exactly 5 years have passed since Annabelle and Mat started dating, and Mat has big plans to celebrate. He creates an extravagant scavenger for her to follow, taking her all around the Island. But the biggest surprise of all is the one at the end. What kinds of new adventures will this day bring for Annabelle and Mat?
Relationships: Mathew Barzal/Other(s)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IF YOU HAVEN'T READ WITHOUT WORDS DON'T READ THIS ONE. THERE ARE SEVERAL SPOILERS IN HERE AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW THE WHOLE FIRST STORY BEFORE READING THIS ONE. THANK YOU.

I lazily rolled over and opened my eyes. My curtains had been pinned open and the blinds were adjusted so the light could stream into my room. Mat, I thought. He must have come in here and made sure the light would wake me up.

I rubbed my eyes and turned so my feet were touching the floor, and I sat there for a minute. In some ways, it was crazy to me how long Mat and I had been together. Today was our 5 year anniversary, and I still couldn’t wrap my head around how much time had passed.

A year and a half ago, I graduated from St. Joseph’s with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in ASL. When I graduated, Mat and I discussed what I wanted to do. We thought about the possibility of me getting a job at a Deaf school in the city, but I told him I wanted to take a year off and get a part-time job, spend a lot of time with the wags, and embrace all that life has to offer. So, I got a part-time job at Babylon Bean Coffee House, the same one where I first met Mat, all those years ago. Starting a few months ago, in August, I started a teaching job with a Deaf school in the City, and I was loving it. The kids were the best and the most precious. There was one girl that was a huge Isles fan and she always wore this orange bow in her hair. She had even told me that Mat was her favorite player.

Liana and Tito had lived together since junior year, and they got married a few months before we graduated, which was coming up on two years ago. Liana had started working at a mental health counseling clinic in the city and was loving her job. I had heard all about it, since we still hang out all the time, and her promise to me at the rink 5 years ago was true; she hadn’t left my side since. 

Also, three months ago, Liana announced that she was pregnant and Tito was over the moon! Mat and I were of course extremely happy as well, and a smile appeared on my face any time I thought of Mat playing with his niece or nephew. Liana and Tito hadn’t found out the gender yet because they wanted to wait until the baby was born.

Of course Mat was still playing for the Isles. He signed an 8 year contract this past summer, which meant he’d be playing until he’s 34. I had moved in with him permanently and we couldn’t be happier. 

Also, Mat had made incredible progress with ASL and I didn’t have any issues communicating with him. I always used Google Translate when we’re driving (or he’s driving), and other than that, I could sign without having to slow down or make it easier to understand because Mat has progressed to fluency.

Adrian graduated from Purdue with his Acting degree three years ago, and he had started working for Golden Castle Theatre in Quinton, New Hampshire. He and his girlfriend, Martha (who he met there), both act there and they’re both happy as well.

I stood up and opened my door, then lazily walked over to Mat’s room. I tapped his door and pushed it open, but he wasn’t there. His bed had been made, clothes laid over his chair, and his dresser organized. The whole room was a lot neater than I’d seen it in a long time.

Where could he be? I thought. He hadn’t told me he was going anywhere. I mentally checked his hockey schedule, and instantly remembered he had practice this morning, from 9 to 11. I had the whole day ahead.

Hungry, I walked over to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. As I passed the counter, I noticed a sheet of paper lying on it. I picked it up and read:

Dear Belle,

Happy 5 years, sweetheart. I’m so excited for you to experience this day and everything it has to offer. If you’re reading this it means I’m at practice, and even though ordinarily I would be heading back to the apartment in a couple hours, today is going to be different. Much different.

It was on this day 5 years ago that I brought you to that outdoor rink, tied your skates for you, and confessed how I felt about you. Over the past 5 years, I can honestly say that my feelings for you have only deepened in ways that I cannot explain. I love you so much Belle, and I am so lucky that I get to live my life with you every single day. You keep me sane, you keep me happy, and you make me smile in a way that only you can. 

On this celebration of our relationship lasting 5 years, I wanted to do something special just for you. Throughout the day, you’ll be going to different places around the Island, with gift certificates and in-store cash brought to you by some of my teammates. At the end there will be a unique surprise, especially for you. 

I know that you want me by your side to experience this with you, but I’ve asked some of the other wives to accompany you on your journeys around the Island. Don’t worry, you’ll see me before too long.

Once again Belle, I hope you know how much I love you. The last five years have without a doubt been the best of my life and you make me a better person because you’re here. I love you more than I can put into words, and I hope you have an awesome 5 year anniversary, sweetheart. 

All my love,

Mat 

I set the letter down on the counter and stared at the wall. So, he was hoping I have an awesome anniversary, without him? Didn’t make much sense. 

I opened the fridge to see what we had for breakfast, and I noticed a Tupperware container on the second top shelf. It had a sticky note attached to it, reading “PS: I made you breakfast ;)” I smiled, pulled it out and opened it up to find peanut butter pancakes inside. My favorite. It was so funny, Mat knew how to spoil me even when he wasn’t here. I chuckled to myself as I popped the container in the microwave and poured myself a glass of milk.

After I finished eating, I assumed that Mat had things planned out, so I waited in the apartment for a while. I took a quick shower and then caught up on some lesson plans for the week, but I couldn't stop the thoughts from circling my head as I worked.


	2. Chapter 2

By 12:30, I was getting a little concerned. Mat said he had this whole day planned for me, but nothing had happened yet, and I was almost afraid that I was missing something. Was I supposed to go somewhere? I walked back over to the letter, which was still sitting on the counter, and reread the whole thing. Mat hadn’t mentioned anything about a starting location or somewhere I was supposed to be. The solution became clear, though, when there was a knock at the door.

“Annabelle, hey.” Tito greeted me as I opened the door. He, Liana, Mat and I had all hung out so much that the both of them were close to fluency in ASL as well, so communication with them was also no problem.

_ Hey, what’s up?  _ I asked, opening the door further and welcoming him inside.

“Please tell me you read the letter,” he said, chuckling.

_ The letter, from Mat?  _ He nodded.  _ Yeah, I read it this morning.  _

“Okay good, so you know what’s going on?”

_ Some kind of … scavenger hunt thing? Am I supposed to be somewhere right now? He kind of left that part out. _

“No, no, I’m here to start that for you.” 

_ Ohh okay.  _

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, then removed a gift card and a folded up piece of paper. 

“These are for you.” I took both the card and the paper from him and set the card on the counter. It was a gift card to one of my favorite restaurants on the Island, Garden City Bistro. I glanced up at Tito as I held the paper, and he looked at me and then back to the paper in my hands.

_ Do you know what it says?  _ I asked him.  _ Have you read it? _

He shook his head. “No, Mat gave them to me and I just tucked them in my wallet because I knew they’d be safe there, but I haven’t read them.” 

_ Gotcha.  _ I unfolded it eagerly and found another note in Mat’s handwriting. It read:

Hey Belle,

Ready for your first adventure? This is only step one. I’ve tasked Tito with bringing you this note and the Garden City Bistro gift card. He’s going to give you a ride to GCB and your only responsibility is to eat lunch. The gift card has $20 on it, that should be enough to cover your meal. I’ve also asked Liana, Lauren, and Grace to come along as well, and they’ll meet you at the restaurant. They know that today is your day, but they’ll be along for the ride.

As this day is beginning to unfold, I can’t wait for you to enjoy everything that I have planned for you. This is so exciting! 

I love you so much sweetheart, and I’m ecstatic to see you later in the day.

All my love,

Mat

I folded it up and grabbed the gift card. “Ready to go?” Tito asked.

_ Yeah, let me get my hoodie and my jacket, I’ll be right back. _

“Okay.” I walked into my room and pulled my Islanders hoodie, the same one Mat gave me over 5 years ago, over my head, grabbed my parka from my closet, and then followed Tito out the door. 

I pulled up Google Translate as soon as we got in the car so that we could carry on a conversation. All the people that I spent the most time around, including Mat of course, Tito and Liana, the wags, and sometimes Mat’s teammates, had adjusted and become quite comfortable around me. They knew what kinds of things I had to do to communicate and there was honestly no awkwardness involved.

Tito and I had a light conversation as we drove to the Garden City Bistro, my favorite restaurant on the Island. Mat and I had frequently come here, and a bunch of the other Isles players loved eating here as well. Their food was great, and I loved the atmosphere.

We pulled into a spot, Tito turned the engine off, and we walked inside.

“Hey!” I heard Grace say as she made eye contact with me. Lauren waved and Liana turned around. The three of them were sitting in a booth and she was the only one that wasn’t facing me.

_ Hey guys!  _ I signed, giving them hugs before sliding into the bench. Liana had stood up so I could have the window seat and she could be on the outside.

“You good, Annabelle?” Tito asked.

_ I mean, that’s all the instructions from Mat?  _

“From me, yeah. You’ll know more in a bit, I promise,” he said. He walked up to the booth and kissed Liana, muttering “I’ll see you at home later,” and waving as he left the restaurant.

“So, Annabelle, can you believe it’s been five years?” Lauren asked.

_ Nope, it’s so impossible to wrap my head around.  _

“What’s even crazier is that you and I have been best friends for over five years,” Liana pushed my shoulder with her own and smiled at me. She was right. It had been about 5 years and 4 months since I walked down that hallway and knocked on my dorm door for the first time.

The four of us girls ordered and continued talking about all the memories we’d made over the past five years as we ate. 

“I remember that first game you came to, the one versus…. Oh who did we play? St. Louis, I think! When Lauren brought you two to the game and she introduced you to me as Mat’s girlfriend,” Grace reminisced.

Lauren chuckled. “I just assumed because Mat had given you his hoodie…” Those were the good old days. 

I turned to Liana.  _ Remember when you faked being sick so Mat and I would go to family skate together?  _

She rolled her eyes, shook her head and smiled. “It was also because Tito asked me and I wanted to go with him instead of my brother! I still can’t believe I did that.”

“Where and when did you and Mat first say I love you?” Grace asked, looking at me.

_ It was about a month after we started dating, at the New Years Eve party, actually.  _

“Wait, you mean the same party where you guys announced that you were officially dating?” I nodded. 

Grace and Lauren looked at each other, their eyebrows raised.

“Wasn’t that like a month after you started dating?”

I glanced at Liana and then back to them, and nodded.

_ I think the fact that for so long I was pushing my feelings down made them actually stronger. It’s like when someone tells you that you can’t have something, then you want it more. The more I told myself I didn’t like Mat, the bigger my feelings for him grew. _

“And here you are, 5 years later.” 

The conversation continued but my thoughts wandered. I couldn’t stop my brain from thinking about my relationship with Mat. It had been  _ 5  _ years. The next step was obviously marriage, but we hadn’t even discussed getting married. Did he even want me forever? The doubt in my mind started to fade when I heard the door to the restaurant open. I turned to see Anders walking in, looking at us. 

“Hey ladies,” he said, smiling. 

“Hey babe,” Grace replied. 

“Hey honey, I’m actually here to give this to Annabelle. It’s from Mat.” He said, handing me a large orange folder. I took it from him, the curiosity and excitement bubbling inside me. “And I’m responsible for taking Annabelle and Liana to the next part of her scavenger hunt.”

“Ooo, Annabelle, what’s inside?” Liana nudged me as I worked open the clasp and pulled open the flap. I reached in and pulled out two sheets of paper. One was a certificate that read “redeemable at Karasmatic Day Spa for one massage and one facial.” I smiled at how Mat was really trying to pamper me, and then moved the certificate behind the other sheet of paper. It was another note, in Mat’s handwriting.

Hey sunshine,

How was lunch? I hope you enjoyed your meal and had a wonderful time talking with Liana, Grace and Lauren.

As you probably already saw, there’s a certificate to Karasmatic Day Spa in the envelope as well. Anders is going to take you and Liana there, even though the certificate is just for you. You get a massage and a facial, and by the end you should be feeling incredibly pampered. Don’t worry hon, you deserve it. Today is all about you and Liana knows that it’s special for you. She’ll be along for the company and to share in your happiness.

I know you’re still wondering where I come into the picture, and I’m asking you to trust the process. You’ll see me very soon and it will all make sense, I promise.

Everything I have planned for the rest of this day is to show you how much I love you. Keep that in mind as you’re travelling to all of my selected locations and having one of the best days ever. I can’t wait to see you soon, Belle.

All my love,

Mat

I put both the sheets of paper back in the envelope and looked at Anders.  _ Do you know what to do from here?  _

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m taking you and Liana to the Spa. It’s quite the drive so I suggest we get going.” 

The four of us got up and slid out of the booth. We threw away our trash and left the restaurant. Liana and I followed Anders to his Ford pickup and Lauren headed to her car. Grace gave Anders a quick kiss and said “see you at home later babe.” 

“See you,” he replied and unlocked the truck.

“Are you still taking shotgun?” Liana asked me.

I rolled my eyes and smiled, jokingly shoving her arm. I did climb into the front seat though.

Anders got into the driver’s seat and started the engine, pulling his seatbelt over him. “Alright, to Karasmatic Spa we go.” 


	3. Chapter 3

When we arrived at the spa, Anders just dropped us off. “You guys need anything else?” he asked as we hopped out.

_ If that’s all the instructions from Mat, nope. We’re good, thanks so much!  _ I told him. 

“Of course! You’ll get more instructions when you’re done!” He told us. We nodded and I shut the passenger-side door, then Liana and I watched as he headed inside.

_ I don’t know why you don’t get a massage too,  _ I told her as we walked inside.

“No no no, this is your day! You’ve been with Mat for 5 years and he’s trying to make you feel special!”

_ I know, but I feel bad- _

She cut me off. “Don’t. I have anniversaries with Tito where he pampers me. This is your day.” 

I shrugged.  _ Okay.  _

We walked up to the desk and the lady said “hi, how can I help you?” 

I slid the certificate to her and she looked at it. “Oh, are you the girl that Mat was talking about?” She asked slowly, seemingly nervous that she was mistaken.

I nodded. “Yeah, this is his girlfriend, Annabelle, and I’m his sister,” Liana told her.

“Are you getting a massage too?” she asked, looking at Liana.

Liana shook her head. “No, I’m just here to accompany her.” 

The lady nodded. “Alright, well Annabelle, you can follow me.”

_ Will you hold onto the folder and Mat’s note for me?  _ I asked Liana. 

“Of course.” I handed her the folder and my purse and then followed the lady to the back room.

I changed into the robe that she handed me and lay down on the table. The lady told me the masseuse would be with me in a couple minutes. 

“Are you Annabelle?” A younger looking lady stood in the doorway with a curious look on her face. She had blonde hair tied up in a messy bun and shiny blue eyes. I nodded. “Great! My name is Madison and I’ll be your masseuse today.” She walked around to the counter and I closed my eyes.

About forty minutes later I headed back into the waiting room. I felt more relaxed and refreshed than I had in my entire life and I couldn’t comprehend how good that felt. Mat really knew how to treat me right.

When I entered the waiting room, I saw Liana on her phone and Jordan Eberle sitting beside her. 

“Annabelle, hey,” Liana said, standing up. 

“Hey,” Ebs said as well.

_ Hey you two,  _ I replied. 

“How was it?” Liana questioned.

_ Wow, if you guys could feel as relaxed as I feel right now…  _ My hands dropped for a second, then I continued.  _ Anyway, I assume you’re here to bring us to the next location?  _ I turned to Jordan and asked.

“Yup. Here.” He handed me another orange folder. I looked at Liana as I opened it and she gave me a look as if she knew what was next.

Inside was, first of all, a certificate to Salon Martone, one of the most expensive salons on the Island. I hadn’t been there before, but I had heard that their prices were quite high. It said that my appointment was at 3:00. I unlocked my phone, 2:15.  _ We gotta go. You know where we’re headed?  _ I asked Jordan.

He nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

The three of us exited the spa and climbed into Jordan’s Range Rover; of course I took the front seat, and we headed towards the salon.

It only took about 25 minutes to get there, but we wanted to make sure we weren’t late. On the drive, I pulled out the other sheet of paper in the folder, which was, of course, Mat’s next note to me. 

Hey Belle,

So, how was the massage? I’m pretty confident that you’re relaxed and pampered at this point, and I love the thought that you’re experiencing all these things that I’ve set up for you. I hope this is seriously one of the best days ever.

Next stop, the salon. You’re going to get your hair and nails done, and I’ve booked your appointment for 3:00. It should be between 2:15 and 2:30 right now, assuming my teammates were on time arriving at each location and prompt in taking you to the next one. You’ll be getting your hair styled in any kind of updo you want, as well as getting your nails done. Gotta have the hands feeling fancy! 

One stop closer to seeing me, sunshine. I can’t wait until then. 

All my love,

Mat

I reread the note, then reread it twice more, with a break in between. As I finished it up the third time, Jordan turned into the lot of the salon. “Here we are,” he said, pulling into a spot and shifting the vehicle to park.

“Time for more Annabelle pampering!” Liana commented as she opened the door and hopped out.    
“You good?” Jordan asked. I nodded, thanked him for the ride, then hopped out. Before I closed the door, he added, “One of the other players will be here in about an hour to bring you to the next location!” 

I nodded.  _ Thanks so much for doing this for Mat. _

He shrugged. “Of course. Now go on in, you’re going to miss your appointment.” 

I smiled, thanked him again, and shut the passenger door. 

“Ready?” Liana asked as she held open the door for me, and we walked inside. 


	4. Chapter 4

As we walked inside, I immediately noticed that the salon walls were all black, and the atmosphere was very upper class. “Hi, welcome to Salon Martone! My name is Sarah, do you two have an appointment?”

Liana walked ahead of me. “I don’t, but this is Annabelle, and she has an appointment for hair and nails at 3:00.”

Sarah flipped through her book and a confused look appeared on her face. “Umm, I have a Belle written down for 3:00, is that it?” 

Liana looked at me. “Yeah, that’s it.” 

Sarah glanced up at us. “I wonder why it was written down differently,” she said as she wrote something down in the book.

“It’s probably because the appointment was made for her by her boyfriend and he always calls her Belle,” Liana explained, and I nodded.

“Ohh, gotcha.” Sarah closed the book and looked back up at us. “Alright, since it’s only 2:48 you guys can go ahead and have a seat, and Bria will be with Belle in about 12 minutes!” 

“Thank you!” Liana told her and we sat down in the waiting area. The chairs and couches were very soft and comfortable, and I thought about how, without Mat, I would never be able to score an appointment to a salon like this.

 _This place is really fancy,_ I told Liana.

“Yeah, I know.” 

_If it wasn’t for Mat, I don’t think I’d ever be able to afford this._

“Yeah, but hey, you do have Mat. So you do.” 

We kept talking for a few minutes until the clock hit 2:58. “Belle?” An older lady with long brown hair stood beside the desk. 

I stood up and Liana did too as we made eye contact with her. She looked confused. “Which one of you is Belle?” 

_I am, but I’m mute so she’s going to follow us so she can voice for me._ The confused look on the lady’s face deepened, but Liana jumped in.

“This is Belle, I’m her boyfriend’s sister. She’s mute, so I figured I could come back to voice for her.” 

The lady’s eyebrows raised. “Oh! Of course. We’re a minute early but why don’t you guys come on back.” She turned and led the way towards a seat. “I’m Bria by the way. So you’re getting your hair and nails done today, correct?” 

I nodded.   
“What’s the occasion?”

 _Today is my anniversary with my boyfriend. 5 years ago today we started dating._ Liana told Bria what I said as she wrapped a hairdresser cape around me and buttoned it.

“Oh, wow! 5 years, huh? How did you guys meet?”

I pulled my hands out of the cloak so I could sign. 

_He’s Liana’s brother, so he and I met because Liana and I were roommates and they were siblings._

Liana took a seat on the bench beside the chair and told Lexi what I said. “Oh gotcha. So what’s the story? How did you guys end up together?” 

As Bria started working on my hair, I explained about how I was scared to like Mat because of Adrian and Emma from all those years ago, and how I found myself falling for him despite the fact that my logical side didn’t want me to. I told her about meeting the team at Shake Shack, the hoodie, surprising him at the airport, and family skate. All of that took almost an hour, and by then my hair was done. It had been arranged in a beautiful braid crown style, with some strands falling out to add character. I even noticed in the back, Bria had added some little fake pink flowers. I loved it.

We moved over to the other side of the room, to a long table with all kinds of desk lights and lamps. There was nail polish on the wall and Bria told me that Lexi would be doing my nails. She said to pick a color and an extra, which were both displayed on the wall. Liana and I discussed what we thought would look good, and finally we settled on a dark blue color with silver flowery-looking designs on my middle and ring fingers to accent it.

Lexi came over a few minutes later. _Just to let you know, I don’t have a voice, so I sign. We’ll see how this works, I guess._ Liana told Lexi what I said and Lexi nodded.

“Of course! We can definitely accommodate. I can do one hand at a time, so you can sign with the other hand? Does that work?”

I nodded. She asked me what design I had chosen and I showed her the blue color and silver pattern. “That’s an awesome choice,” she said, spreading my hand out flat on the table and beginning the entire manicure process. 

Around 4:30, my nails were done and drying. Liana sat beside me as we waited for them to be finished. As we were waiting, we heard the door to the salon open and the bell jingle. Liana turned around. “It’s Matt,” she told me.

I couldn’t see, and I thought she meant Mat, but when Sarah from the front desk asked him how she could help him, I heard his voice and realized she meant Matt, not Mat.

“I’m just here to pick up Annabelle and Liana,” he told her.

Liana got up and walked over to him.

“Hey,” she said, leading him back over to the table where I was still sitting.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?”

“Awesome,” I mouthed, since I was scared of signing and messing up my nails. There were fans on them to speed up the drying process, and my fingers were getting cold, but I really didn’t want to ruin them.

“So, I have this for you Annabelle.” Matt held out one sheet of paper which was not in a folder, and I looked at it curiously. 

“No folder?” Liana asked, glancing between Matt and I. “Hm, I wonder what Mat has planned for you next.” She took the letter from him and held onto it. “Do you want me to read it to you?”

I shook my head. _I’ll read it after my nails are finished drying._ I signed very loosely to protect the fate of the beautiful design sitting on my nails.

“Okay, I’ll hold onto it until then.”

Lexi came back and turned off the fan. “Alrighty, you should be good, Annabelle! Just be careful, because the top is dry but the layers might not be, so try not to be too wild. You also might want to be careful when signing, too.”

I nodded, lifted my hands slowly, and wiggled my fingers. _I’m going to be very careful._

“Here,” Liana said, handing me the note from Mat. I took it and opened it, excited to read what he had to say.

Hey sweetheart,

Your hair and nails are done! I’m so excited to see what you’ve chosen. I bet you look so beautiful, sunshine.

You’re almost at the end of the road! You have one more stop to make before I come into the picture. Matt is going to bring you and Liana to the mall, where I’ve picked out and bought two outfits for you. You get to keep both, but choose one to change into. Everything you need will be there, and you don’t need to make any purchase because everything is already bought. 

Just a little while longer until I get to see you, baby. I love you so so much and I hope you’ve enjoyed everything I’ve planned for you today.

Counting down the minutes until I get to see you, darling.

All my love,

Mat

I folded the note and glanced up to see Liana and Matt looking at me expectantly. _Did Mat tell you what the plan is?_ I asked.

Matt nodded. “Yeah, I know where we’re going.” 

Liana, Matt and I thanked Sarah, Lexi, and Bria and headed out the door. 

Matt unlocked his white raptor truck and Liana and I climbed in, me in the front of course.

The ride to the mall was short, and Matt asked me how the day had been. I told him it was awesome and Mat really knew how to spoil me.

“Yeah, he talks about you in practice all the time. He has for years. He always tells us about the most recent date you guys went on or something like that. He really loves you.” 

I stayed quiet for a minute, pondering this. I was so immensely fortunate to have a boyfriend like Mat. He had done so much for me and I was blessed to be able to support him. 

_I really love him too._ Matt turned into the mall parking lot and pulled up along the curb of Kohl’s. “Well, this is it!” he said.

“Thanks so much, Matt!” Liana said as she hopped out.

 _Thank you,_ I told him as I opened the door.

“No problem! You guys know where to go?” he asked. 

I nodded and Liana replied, “yup!”

“Alright! Have fun!” Matt said as we shut the door and headed inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Liana and I walked inside the store, even though we weren’t sure where exactly to go. We figured it would be at one of the clothing purchase desks, so we wandered around and asked them. On our third try, Liana asked the workers if anyone named Mat had stopped by and bought some clothes and asked them to hold them. It took them a second, but they caught on.

“Oh, Mathew Barzal?” The girl working there asked. She looked to be in about her mid-20s.

Liana chuckled, but nodded. “Why didn’t you say so? I would have figured it out sooner if you had mentioned him stopping by.” Liana looked at me. “I mean, he’s so attractive. I’m a huge Isles fan, but let’s be honest, he’s super pretty, wow. If he stops by again I might have to give him my number. Do you think he’s seeing anyone?” She asked as she was flipping through the receipts on the desk to find the holding tag for the clothes. 

“Um, well, my name is Liana Barzal, and this is Annabelle, Mat’s girlfriend of 5 years. So I think so.” Liana said. 

The girl looked up at us, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. She cupped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my gosh, I’m  _ so  _ sorry,” she said, looking at me. 

_ It’s fine. You didn’t know, no harm done.  _ I signed. 

“She said it’s fine because you didn’t know,” Liana told the girl. 

“If I would have known…. I’m so sorry. Okay anyway, here are the two outfits he chose, and he said you take both but choose one to change into.”

She laid them out on the counter for Liana and I to look at and upon seeing them, I realized how much Mat knew me. I had shown him outfits just like this and told him how much I love them. The first one was a light brown sweater, black leggings and he had even bought a pair of brown knee-high boots to go with it. The second outfit was a thin off-white top with skinny jeans, black knee-high boots, and a tan-ish brown jacket. I had a tough time deciding which to choose to change into. 

_ Which do you think?  _ I asked Liana.

“I’m honestly not sure,” she replied. We stared at the outfits for a minute or two but in the end, I decided on the second one. I figured the jeans and the jacket would keep me warmer than leggings and a sweater.

_ That one,  _ I pointed to it. The girl asked, “this one?” I nodded and she grabbed the first outfit, gently folding the clothes and sticking them into a bag. Then she lifted up the shirt, sweater, pants, and boots that I had selected and handed them to me. “The changing rooms are just up ahead to your left.” She pointed to a sign that said “Fitting Rooms.” 

_ Thank you so much!  _ Liana told her I said thank you, and I could tell she was still upset and embarrassed about her comments earlier.

_ Hey, don’t feel bad about what you said. It’s fine, really. So many people are attracted to my boyfriend, I get that kind of thing all the time. Especially with the fact that he’s a big name NHLer. Don’t worry about it, please.  _ Liana voiced for me as I signed.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Thank you, that means a lot.” 

_ Of course.  _ I smiled at her as Liana and I headed to the change rooms. 

Once I got into the room and shut the door, I quickly exchanged my t-shirt for the cute off-white top and my ripped black skinny jeans for the blue jeans. I was slightly surprised at the fact that both things fit me as close to perfect as possible, and I chuckled at how well Mat knew me. 

“How does it look?” Liana asked. I raised my hands above the door and signed,  _ awesome! It fits perfectly! _

“Of course it does. This is Mat we’re talking about, he knows everything about you, including what size shirt and pants you are.”

I chuckled as I slid on the black boots and then wrapped the brown jacket over my arms. Now that I had the whole outfit on, I could honestly say that everything fit  _ perfectly.  _

“Come on out when you’re done!” Liana said excitedly. As I slid the lock on the door open and stepped out, I had a flashback to that day in Cold Spring Harbor all those years ago. I could vividly see Mat’s face in my mind as he stared at me, his voice caught in his throat, and how Liana was playing with my hair as I glanced back up at him. I remember the way his hazel eyes looked me up and down and I tried so hard not to care, even though back then, the fact that I was having an affect on him meant everything to me. In fact, at that time, it might have been the only thing that mattered. 

Upon seeing me, Liana froze. “Annabelle. Girl. Wow, you look so good! Oh my gosh, Mat is going to lose it when he sees you.” 

_ Think so?  _ I asked. 

“Are you kidding? Of course! He chose the outfit!”

_ It fits perfectly.  _

“Like I said, that’s because he knows you.” I smiled as I did a quick spin, feeling the excitement bubble in my stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey guys,” a male voice said. I looked past Liana to see Casey Cizikas standing behind her. “I’m your ride to the last location.” Liana paused, then Casey saw me. “Hey Annabelle, you look good!” 

_ Thank you. It’s the outfit Mat chose for me.  _

He nodded. “It looks good. I suggest we get going though, because he has this whole thing planned out and if we’re late, he’s never going to forgive me.”

I quickly walked back into the dressing room, gathered my old clothes and shoes, and tossed them into the bag with the other outfit. Liana had been holding onto the folders with all of Mat’s notes, and, after making sure we had everything, we headed outside.

I immediately noticed that the wind had started to blow around aggressively, making it even colder, and I pulled the jacket closed in an attempt to conceal any heat I had left inside. We quickly made it to Casey’s Cadillac Escalade, and I hopped in the front seat and closed the door in a hurry. 

_ It’s cold,  _ I signed as Casey turned on the vehicle. 

“I know, I’ll have the heat on in just a second.” He paused to let the vehicle warm up, and after a couple minutes, he turned the heat on and started pulling out.

“So, where have you been today?” he asked as he was driving. 

_ We started at lunch, then Anders took us to the spa because Mat had me get a massage, and then Ebs showed up and brought us to the salon to get my hair and nails done, and then Matt came to the salon to bring us to the clothing store, and then here we are being brought to the last stop.  _ Liana voiced, so that Casey didn’t have to take his eyes from the road.

“Wow, you’ve been everywhere! Oh I almost forgot. Liana, I think it’s beside you. There’s a folded up sheet of paper back there on the seat, do you see it?” 

“Yup, I got it,” she replied.

“That’s the last note from Mat to Annabelle,” he told her.

“Oh.” Liana reached forward and handed it to me. I smirked as I took it from her, but opened it up to read:

Dear Belle,

Wow. Your day is about to come to a close. It’s getting dark and you’ve been to all of the places I’ve planned for you. Well, all but one.

Casey is going to bring you to your last stop, and finally the moment we’ve been waiting for all day will arrive. I can’t wait to see your hair, nails, outfit, but mostly, I can’t wait to see you. It’s been almost 10 hours since I left the apartment this morning, and I feel deprived of seeing my sweet sunshine. 

I hope you’ve had an amazing day so far Belle, and I hope that all of those places you got to go and things you got to experience reminded you of my love for you. I know that you don’t need new outfits, massages, or fancy salons to know how much you mean to me, but seeing as it’s been 5 years since that afternoon at family skate, I figured why not go all out?

I won’t be telling you where the last location is, but don’t worry, Casey knows where to go. He’ll be dropping you off, and I’ll be there waiting.

Saying I can’t wait to see you is such an understatement sweetheart, but for now, it will have to do. I can’t wait to see you and celebrate the rest of this day with you, by your side, with you by mine. 

I love you so much darling. Happy 5 years.

All my love, 

Mat

As I finished reading, Liana spoke up. “Hey Casey?” she asked.

“Hm?” Casey said, turning his head towards Liana but not looking away from the road.

“Mat just texted me and said to remind you to drop me off at home.”

“Right.” He took an exit off the highway and headed towards Tito and Liana’s house.

When they got there, Liana hesitated before getting out. “I’ll hold onto all the folders and also your bag of clothes, so you don’t have to carry anything when you go see Mat. I’ll get them back to you tomorrow okay?” she said.

_ Sure, thanks Liana.  _

“No problem!” She took the bag from me as well as all the notes, except for one. I held onto the last one, tightly. “Thanks for the ride Casey!” she called as she hopped out and shut the door. I watched her wave back at us before heading inside.

“Alright, to the final destination we go,” Casey said as he shifted the vehicle to drive. “Wait! I almost forgot. Mat told me to blindfold you for this part because he wanted the final destination to be a surprise.” He grabbed a silk scarf from the middle console and held it up. “Do you wanna tie it?”

I nodded. First, I tucked Mat’s note, which had been laying in my lap, in my pocket. Then I took the blindfold from him, wrapping it over my eyes and tying it in the back. “Good?” Casey asked.

I nodded and gave a thumbs up. “Alright,  _ now  _ to the final destination we go.”

I felt the vehicle lurch forward after I finished tying the silk behind my head. I did my best to stay alert enough to track where we were going, but I soon found myself lost and disoriented. Mat’s wish of the last destination being a surprise would be true. The longer we drove, the more anxious I felt myself becoming. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard Casey pull into a gravel parking lot. I could tell it was gravel because of the sound of the tires on the pebbles. He shifted the vehicle to park. “Alright, we’re here.” 

_ What do I do? Should I get out?  _

“I’m going to help you out because you have a little bit to walk before you can take off the blindfold.”

_ Okay.  _ Casey got out and I waited as he walked around the vehicle. I opened the door and he helped me hop out, then he led me about 20 steps forward. 

“I got her from here, thanks Zeeker.” My heart leaped at the familiarity of Mat’s voice. I felt him beside me, his hand on my arm, and immediately all the anxiety built up from earlier dissipated. The electricity went zooming through me at his touch, and honestly, it hadn’t faded or grown normal over five years. 

Behind me, I heard the driver’s door of Casey’s vehicle close, and as I listened to the engine roar to life and him drive off, I paid close attention to Mat beside me. “Hey sunshine,” he said softly. “I love your hair, it’s gorgeous.” I smiled, and I felt his hands move to mine. He lifted my fingers up and I knew he was looking at my nails. “I love it, you’re beautiful.” He placed a soft kiss on my cheek and my heart warmed up at his comment. I hated how I still had the blindfold on.

Even though I couldn’t see my hands, I could sign, and I could hear Mat.  _ Thank you sweetheart, but can I please just see where we are? I’m so curious.  _ I told him.

His soft laugh warmed my heart and I could hear his smile in his tone of voice. “Okay, okay. I’ll get it.” I could feel him move behind me, and the blindfold loosened and fell off as Mat untied it.

When I opened my eyes, it took me a second to recognize where we were, but then I realized. It was the same outdoor rink where family skate happened, exactly 5 years ago. There were strings of soft white Christmas lights wrapped around the light poles and the darkness of the rink just made the lights even brighter. 

As I took in the beautiful view of the lights shining on the rink, Mat gently wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder. He was bending over slightly, since ordinarily he was quite a bit taller than me. “What do you think sweetheart? Is it beautiful?” 

_ It’s magical,  _ I signed, feeling my heart warmer than ever. This view, this boy, this day, everything about it was nothing short of perfect.

Mat dropped his hands from my waist and moved around in front of me. “I love you so much, Belle,” he said, tucking his hand on my neck to kiss me. It was slow, meaningful, and I wished more than anything for this moment to freeze. Right here, right now, his lips on mine. We had our fair share of PDA, kisses, and makeout sessions over the course of our relationship, but something about this felt...different. Like he was anticipating something. 

I slowly traced my fingers up to his neck and gently gripped the side of his cheek as I deepened the kiss, wanting nothing more than to show him how much I love him. He had done so much for me, today and everything up until now, and I felt like it was my turn to give him something. My fingers creeped into his hair and tugged at it ever so gently when he finally decided to pull away.

_ I love you,  _ I told him, emphasizing every sign. I hated that he wouldn’t ever be able to hear me say those words, or the sound of my voice as I tried to express how much I meant it, but I quickly brushed away the thought. My hands were my voice, and that was one of the many things that made me special. Mat had told me countless times that my lack of a voice was a personality trait, and one of his favorite things about me. He loved watching my face move as I signed, and how my eyes light up when I’m talking about something I love. He constantly reminded me that he loves me for who I am, the way I am, and if he had the chance to change me, he would leave me exactly the way I am. “You’re perfect already,” he always says.

Mat wrapped his arm around me in a side hug, and we went back to staring at the rink with all the little Christmas lights strung around the lamp poles. “So, wanna skate?” he asked.

I glanced up at him.  _ Really? We’re skating?  _ I asked excitedly.

“Of course! What do you think that unique surprise at the end was?” His face lit up and I smiled at the thought. It might have been really cold out here, but as long as I was with Mat, I didn’t feel the cold.

He laced his fingers with mine and tugged me over to the same bench that he tied my skates on 5 years ago. “I grabbed your skates from the apartment before practice this morning,” he told me, “and made sure to take mine with me after practice.” 

_ You thought of everything.  _

He smiled. “Sure did.” I sat on the bench and took off my tall black boots. So that’s why Mat had chosen tall boots, so my socks would come up far enough for skates. He really was smarter than he looked. 

I slid my feet into the skates and started working to tighten the laces, but I was a third of the way done with my first skate when Mat finished tying both of his. He stood up and moved in front of me, patting his thigh. “Up,” he said. 

I rolled my eyes but smiled. Even though I was perfectly capable of tying my own skates, Mat always insisted that he tie them for me, ever since family skate. In some ways, it would probably feel weird and unusual for me to tie my skates myself.

I lifted my foot onto his thigh and he immediately started pulling the laces tight. Of course he checked with me as he tightened them to be sure they weren’t uncomfortable.

A couple minutes later he was finished with both my skates and he dropped my foot to the ground. I stood up and removed my skate guards as he removed his, and we walked over to the ice. I stepped on and instantly the familiar warm feeling of skating flowed through me.

Mat glided beside me, his hand finding mine. My fingers still found comfort in how well they fit into his. 

“Can you believe it’s been five years?” he asked, looking at me. 

I paused, then shook my head slowly.  _ Five years. How has it been that long?  _

We passed the bench where the two of us sat down and I remembered how he looked like he wanted to say something. The familiarity of his apprehensiveness came back to me and I smiled at the memory of him signing the words  _ I like you  _ to me because he had been too nervous to say it.

“You know what I remember?” he asked. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows because I didn’t feel like signing  _ what?  _ “I remember when you and I hung out alone for the first time. When Liana said she had too much homework to do?” I nodded. “Do you remember what we did?” 

_ Yeah, we went to your apartment and played Monopoly and then cooked dinner, and we got into a food fight because you threw an uncooked noodle at me and then I tripped and you helped me up and you almost kissed me. _

He nodded. “Yeah. Did I ever tell you how bad I wanted to kiss you then?”

_ No, but you told Liana.  _ I had never confessed to him that I eavesdropped on his conversation with her a few days later. 

“Huh?” he asked, the confusion apparent on his face.

_ You told Liana how bad you wanted to kiss me.  _ I repeated.

“When?”

_ Like two days later. You told her you didn’t have a crush on me, or even like me, because both of those words weren’t strong enough for what you felt for me. And she was telling you to tell me and you were getting frustrated because she wouldn’t tell you if I felt the same.  _

His mouth dropped. “You heard that conversation with Liana?” 

I bit my lower lip and nodded slowly.  _ I was coming back from class and I heard your voice in the room, so I listened. By the time I realized you were talking about me I didn’t know what else to do, so I stayed and listened. _

“So you already knew I had feelings for you when I confessed?” 

_ Kind of, but my mind kept making me think that I dreamed it, or that I was making it up. Hearing it from you in person made it feel a lot more real. _

Mat chuckled softly. “I can’t believe you remember all that.” 

Before I could tell myself not to, my hands were admitting something else to Mat that I‘d never told him before.  _ And then after that, Liana and I went to Starbucks one evening, like the next night or something, and this guy came up to me and started flirting with me. That was after I’d admitted to myself that I liked you, but all those conflicts about Adrian and Emma were preventing me from really allowing myself to feel it. The whole time this guy was talking to me I couldn’t stop thinking about you and how hurt you would be if you knew. That’s basically what convinced me to tell you how I felt. That and Liana told me to.  _

“Wait, some guy flirted with you?” Mat asked. It happened over five years ago, and before he and I were together, but somehow seeing the jealousy on Mat’s face was still slightly satisfying. 

_ Yeah, but I had some fun with him since he didn’t understand ASL. I signed to him to, like, stay the hell away from me or something, and then I told Liana to tell him no thank you. She did and he walked away. Then I told her about Adrian and Emma and she told me I have to tell you how I felt.  _

“Yeah.” We skated around the rink for another hour, recalling all the good memories over the past few years. 

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could watch all our memories?” Mat asked after a long period of silence.

_ Definitely,  _ I replied.

Mat grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bench where we sat 5 years ago. “Do you want to?” he asked. 

_ Want to….?  _

“Watch all our memories.”

I furrowed my eyebrows to express my confusion, and Mat chuckled. A flash of light appeared across the rink and I realized it was a large screen, that I didn’t even notice before, turning on. 

Mat waved to a man in the skate rental booth, a guy I hadn’t realized was over there. “Wait! I almost forgot.” He stood up, walked off the bench, skated across the rink and went over to the booth. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but he came back a second later with one white plastic cup in each hand.

“Hot chocolate, since I figured you’re probably really cold.” Mat chuckled as he handed me one of the cups, and I felt like this was everything I needed out of life. Mat, skating, hot chocolate, and a movie of all our memories. What could be better?


	7. Chapter 7

The video started playing and my mouth dropped about 4 seconds in. There were pictures and videos playing in quick succession, with various songs playing over it, including “What If I Told You That I Love You” by Ali Gatie, “The Only Way to Love” by Vanessa Carlton, “Ocean” by Lady Antebellum, and “Electricity” by Dua Lipa. Mat was right, the memories did come flowing back. I had no idea when he had made it, or if he had gotten someone else to make it, but it didn’t change how much it meant to me.

There were videos and pictures from everything: the first time I moved into the apartment for a few weeks over Christmas break freshman year, all our date nights, some game pics, a bunch from the many all-star games Mat had played in, many memories from our several trips to Vancouver, then Springside, which we usually took over the summer. Any picture or video of Mat and I over the past five years was included, and the entire video lasted about 12 minutes. I couldn’t be more thankful.

When the video was over, Mat took both my hands and stood up, bringing me behind him. We exited the bench and skated to center ice, where he stood right in front of me. He was still holding both of my hands, and his eyes pierced mine. 

“Belle, there’s something I have to tell you.” He paused and I didn’t feel like taking my hands out of his to sign, so I just stood there, looking up at him. Besides, he was keeping my hands warm.

“I lied to you.” My eyes grew wide, but he continued. “Skating wasn’t the unique surprise for you, it’s this. Me getting to tell you everything that I’m going to tell you right now."

I chuckled and smiled, staring into his eyes as he spoke.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to be your boyfriend and to have been your boyfriend for the last five years. You are everything I have wanted out of life. Before I met you, I didn’t figure on ever being serious about a girl, I kinda just figured I’d be a dedicated single hockey star forever. But then you showed up and I couldn’t stop thinking about you and everything I wanted with you. Suddenly, being serious about you was the _only_ thing I wanted. You’re my everything, I’m serious. I couldn’t live without you. You’re my sunshine, and I hate that saying I love you doesn’t feel like enough. I need something more, Belle. I love you _so_ much.” Again, he paused, and his eyes said things that I didn’t have to hear to understand. “Do you know what I want?” he asked. I shook my head slowly. “I want us to be together forever. There is no one else I’d rather spend my life with than you, and I don’t want to spend my life without you.” His right hand let go of my left and he glanced down as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small box and bent down on one knee.

Instantly my hand went over my mouth. I stared at him in utter surprise, and I couldn’t believe this was happening. The thought of doubt from earlier came back to me, when I wondered if Mat really saw a future for us. Now I realized he saw nothing else.

Mat opened the box and looked up at me. “Annabelle Grace Shepherd, will you marry me?” he asked, his eyes filled with love and warmth. The smile was glued to my face and I tried to wrap my head around what was happening. 

_Of course!_ I signed, and Mat’s smile grew as well. He stood up, took the ring out of the box and slid it onto my finger ever so gently. 

Immediately my mouth was on his and I was kissing him as if I’d never kissed him before. I felt myself fall into him and it was like I couldn’t get close enough to him. I was running out of breath as our mouths danced on each other, following a new and yet familiar rhythm. I was running out of breath but I didn’t care because here he was, the boy I’d loved since four days after I moved to Long Island as an 18 year old. I couldn’t get enough of him, not now, not ever. I needed him like I needed my hands to communicate, my eyes to see, or water to live. The world seemed to fall away as I deepened the kiss and took in every taste, every caress, every single bit of him that I could. I thought about the presence of the ring on my finger and I tried to wrap my head around the fact: Mat and I had a wedding to plan.


	8. Chapter 8

That night, Mat and I headed back to the apartment, because honestly, it had been a long day. One of the best days ever, but staying inside and cooking a dinner with my now fiancé sounded perfect. Fiancé. I couldn’t believe I got to use that word. Mat wasn’t my boyfriend anymore. He was my fiancé, and soon, my  _ husband.  _ Wow.

When we got inside, I rubbed my hands together to try to regain some warmth, and soon I felt them start to thaw. Mat took my coat and hung it beside his in the closet, then wandered into the kitchen to start making dinner. I stood beside the closet for a second, just watching as he filled the pot up with water and set it on the stove, and opened the cabinet door to get the noodles. Of course we were having spaghetti. A classic.

I looked down at the sparkling silver ring on my finger. It was a single band and a round diamond stone. Simple, yet elegant. I loved it almost as much as I loved Mat. Almost.

He turned around and looked at me, waiting for the water to boil. I continued staring at the ring on my finger, but I could see him watching me from my peripheral vision.

Mat walked over to me slowly and wrapped his hands around my waist. “Do you like the ring?” he asked.

_ I absolutely love it.  _ I told him.

“I’m glad,” he replied, giving me a quick kiss before turning back to the kitchen at the now bubbling pot of water. 

The rest of the evening was extraordinarily laid back. While Mat cooked, I changed into my pajamas and then walked back out to the kitchen. Mat finished cooking and we ate then cleaned up. 

“Do you wanna watch a movie?” he asked once the dishes were done.

I shrugged.  _ Sure.  _

We opened up Netflix and decided to watch Father of the Bride, one of my favorite rom-coms ever, but half an hour into it I was asleep on Mat’s shoulder. 

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but when he nudged my head awake, I opened my eyes lazily to see the TV off. I wondered if he had finished the movie.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” He slid his hand under my legs and carried me bridal style into his room.

_ Why are we in your room?  _ I signed, my eyes about to close again. As soon as I hit the bed, I laid my head on the pillow and was almost back to sleep instantly.

I heard his laugh, though. “I know you like sleeping on my shoulder, and it’s pretty cold out tonight, so I figured you would rather sleep next to me than alone.” 

My heart melted, even though I acted like I hadn’t heard him. I nodded ever so slowly. He lifted the covers and climbed in, and pushed them further so that I could slide my legs under them as well. It had been quite chilly all night, and being under two layers of blankets instantly felt like my happy place. 

I adjusted myself so that my head was resting on Mat’s shoulder, and smiled as he wrapped his arm around my back. I felt myself edging closer and closer to sleep’s grasp, but not before hearing Mat whisper, “I can’t wait to marry you.” With that happy thought, I fell over the edge into the most peaceful sleep of my whole life.


	9. Chapter 9

I called Liana the next day, and she told me she knew all along that Mat was planning to propose.

After hearing this, I walked out of my room into the living room, where Mat was sitting.

 _You told Liana you were going to propose to me?_ I asked.

He chuckled. “Yeah, everyone knew.” 

_Who’s everyone?_

“Um, all my teammates, the ones that drove you and the ones that didn’t, and most of the wives. Oh and your parents. I talked to your dad a few weeks ago.”

_So everyone knew except for me._

Again, he smiled and a small laugh escaped his lips. “Yeah, baby, you think I was going to tell you that my surprise for the end of the day was a big sparkly engagement ring? It wouldn’t have been a surprise then.” He stood up and walked over to me, placing his hands on my forearms. 

_I guess._ I paused to look into his eyes. _But now it’s not exciting for me to tell them because they all already know._

“Aww, sweetheart, it’s still exciting!” He pulled me into him and squeezed. I always loved his hugs. I found comfort in the feeling of his arms wrapped around me, and they always made me feel better, no matter the circumstance. Even before we were dating, that first game of his I went to where they were down 2-0 and came back to win, or when I picked him up from the airport when he came back from that road trip, something about it always felt like there was more there. Now, all these years later, I know there was.

“But, I didn’t show anyone the ring. So you get to show it off to everyone.” 

_Really_ ? He nodded. _Thanks._

“Of course.” 

I of course showed off the ring to everyone: all the wives, my teacher friends at school, honestly, to anyone that would look at it. I video-called my family soon after too, and showed it off to my mom. They were both so excited that I was getting married! I still had to work to wrap my head around it. It made it more fun that way, that it took awhile for it to actually sink in.

Mat and I were engaged for almost a year and eight months before the actual wedding. We had wanted it to be in spring sometime, around April or May, but realized it wouldn’t work because of the playoffs and the uncertainty with the schedule. And then we figured that it would be better to have more time to plan the wedding than not enough, so we settled on July, over a year and a half later.

Over the course of that time, Mat and I grew closer, if that was even possible. We started instituting some little things that helped keep our relationship strong; such as a ‘fight box’ where we write each other a love note and only open it after we’ve had an argument, and bond touch bracelets for when Mat is on the road. I still accompanied him to the All-Star games that he went to, and they were always fun. 

We hired a wedding planner and started working on details soon after, too. It was all quite stressful, but after we got the main details down, the tinier things took care of themselves. We decided the colors would be pastel yellow and blue, with pink as an accent. I chose my bridesmaids, and Mat wanted his groomsmen to be my bridesmaids’ husbands, which worked perfectly. We selected a venue, Oheka Castle in Huntington, which was _beautiful._ Absolutely gorgeous. We went to visit it one afternoon and we both fell in love with it. 

Our guest list consisted of both of our families, all the Islanders players, coaches, staff, reporters, all the wags, some of my teacher friends, a couple of my friends from the coffee house, a few of Mat’s friends from when he played on Seattle as well as childhood friends from Vancouver, and I invited some of my hometown friends as well. Including Emma. It would be the first time I talked to her since summer before my senior year of high school. As hard as it was, I mailed her the invitation, and was thrilled when she RSVP’d yes.

The days edged closer and closer to the wedding, and I grew more and more excited. Mat and I were only days away from being husband and wife, and I could hardly believe it. We’d come so far from that first day in the coffee shop, when he understood me signing ‘elementary education’ before Liana, or him asking if we were busy and bringing us both to Cold Spring Harbor the next day. We’d been together over 6 ½ years. Absolutely insane.


	10. Chapter 10

The morning of the wedding, July 14, was hectic. I slept at the Castle the night before so Mat wouldn't see me before the ceremony. My bridesmaids, which consisted of Sydney Martin, Megan Bailey, Kristy Cizikas, Grace Lee, Liana Beauvillier (as my maid of honor), Lauren Eberle, Emily Mayfield, Jen Pelech, and Paige Pulock, arrived at around 7. With the theme of the wedding being pastel pink, blue, and yellow, Sydney, Meghan and Kristy were wearing yellow, Grace, Liana and Lauren would be in blue, and Emily, Jen, and Paige would be wearing pink, and all of their husbands were Mat’s groomsmen. Their ties and flowers would be color coordinated to the bridesmaids’, their wives’, dresses. 

I woke up around 6 and ate a big breakfast with the rest of the girls, because I wasn’t sure if I would have time to eat much else all day. Then, we all started the process of getting hair and makeup done. My mom came early to help us with that, and my dad tagged along as well.

As I was getting ready, I heard Meghan Bailey call “Mat’s here!” I perked up at the sound of his name, but didn’t move because my mom had been helping me with makeup. 

By 9 o’clock, my hair and makeup was done, and most of the other wives’ were done too. They were helping each other with the finishing touches, which I loved to see. We heard voices in the hallway, and Liana poked her head out. “Guests are starting to arrive,” she told me. I nodded. The ceremony was set to start at 11:00, so I still had some time. 

Right before I put my dress on, I stood in front of it and stared. It was so pretty, I loved it. It was technically two parts; a top and a skirt. The top had long sleeves and a beautiful button up back, while the skirt was long, thick, and flowy. I stood there for another minute, admiring it, and then took it off its hanger and gently put on both pieces.

After it was on, I realized how gorgeous I looked. I stood in front of the mirror, my hair neatly worked into a half-up half-down bun with a thin sparkly tiara headband, my makeup applied perfectly. Thoughts about Mat’s reaction wandered into my mind, and I felt the excitement bubble in my stomach.

Not too long after that, the rest of the bridesmaids had their hair and makeup done, and everyone had arrived. People were gathering into seats, and I peeked my head out of the door so that I could see.

“Nervous?” My dad, who had come into the dressing room just a few minutes ago, asked. My mom and all my bridesmaids had exited, since they were to walk the aisle before me. My dad and I were alone.

 _A little,_ I replied. 

“It’s gone very smoothly so far, dear. Besides, you look beautiful.” He held his arm out and I walked into him. He hugged me the same way he always had. “My little girl’s getting married.”

I stepped back from him so I could sign. _I can’t believe it. I’m getting married._

“I’m glad you’re marrying Mat, though,” he said softly. “He’s a good man. He cares for you deeply, I’m very glad you found him.” 

_Thanks Dad,_ is all I could say without crying. 

We head down the stairs and towards the doors, where I could catch a glimpse of the bridesmaids and groomsmen walking down the aisle, and I felt my heart soar at the sight of Reese Cizikas, Winnie Martin, Blake Bailey, Collins Eberle, and Ruby Lee in front of every two sets of couples, gently tossing flower petals. Ruby, Collins, and Blake had all recently turned 4, Winnie and Reese were turning 4 a little later. I adjusted my head to try to locate Mat standing there, and I could just barely see him right at the end of the aisle. He looked as attractive as ever in his tux and bowtie, and I could tell he didn’t see me.

My nerves started to bubble in my stomach and I hated that I was getting so shaky. I tried to ignore it as the procession continued. My dad and I stood in the lobby area as it got closer and closer to our turn to walk down the aisle for this huge life moment.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay im so sorry this took so long i got sort of stuck during this part and had to work some things out! i hope everyone likes the chapter :)

I watched as Liana and Tito slowly stepped, one foot in front of the other, down the aisle. We were standing in a particular position in the lobby so that I could see Mat but he couldn’t see me. I watched everything, before realizing that it was time for Dad and I to walk.

The doors opened wider, all the guests stood up and turned to face me, and I made eye contact with Mat as my dad and I started to walk. He smiled so wide, maybe wider than I’d ever seen, and eventually he started to laugh and cry at the same time. He subtly raised his hands and signed to me _you look so beautiful_ , and somehow my smile widened. My dad and I got closer and closer, and finally, we were standing front and center, right in front of Mat. 

“Who gives this woman to this man?” The officiant asked.

“Myself and her mother do,” Dad replied. My hand was still tucked around his arm. He turned to me and kissed my forehead, then dropped my arm, and he looked at Mat and shook his hand. The officiant nodded, and Dad turned to walk back to his seat. I handed my flower bouquet off to Liana, who was standing off to the side, and then placed my hands in Mat’s and glanced up to meet his eyes. I felt so much more in this moment than I thought I could feel in a lifetime: love, admiration, pride, strength, excitement, joy, and zero nervousness. Despite the fact that the entire team, all the coaches, staff, and reporters from the Islanders, both sets of families, all our friends, were all watching us right now, it felt like it was just Mat and I in an empty room. The officiant started speaking, and the ceremony had begun.

“Dearly beloved: we are gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” My heart rate sped up as I glanced back and forth between Mat and the officiant, and he continued to talk. 

“We will now hear the bride and groom read their vows to each other, starting with the groom.”

Mat and I had talked about how the vows would go. I would sign mine, of course, but did we want to do it off in the corner to be just us? Should we hire an interpreter for the day, to voice for me? Finally, we decided that I didn’t need a voice. Instead, we came up with the idea of printing off multiple sets of our typed up vows and had our wedding coordinator put them into envelopes; one of mine, one of Mat’s in each. That way I could sign freely without needing a voice and everyone would still be able to follow along.

Mat took a deep breath without moving his eyes from mine. Then he dropped my left hand and reached into his suit pocket to pull out a few note cards. I smiled and gently squeezed his left hand with my right one.

His eyes darted back to me for a second and he took another deep breath. “Okay Belle, I love you,” he said, and I smiled and mouthed ‘love you’ back to him. He looked down at his cards for a moment, then glanced back to me and started.

“When I first saw you at the coffee shop almost 7 years ago, and I started thinking about you, I soon realized that you were the only girl I wanted to be with. Suddenly, all these other girls that I might have gone for before didn't seem attractive to me, because I had my eyes set only on you. I found myself drawn into you, your eyes, your hair, and your signing. I remember being so nervous the day that I told you about my feelings for you, but I was thrilled when you told me you felt the same, and I've been on cloud 9 ever since. I'm so incredibly lucky that you are giving me the chance to marry you and be your husband. 

Since the second day I met you, I've called you sunshine and that's what you are in my life. When conflicts and storm clouds appear unexpectedly, all you have to do is smile, and it feels like all the struggles fade away. You are the light and the love of my life and I promise to be everything you deserve and so much more. I promise to give you all of me: my heart, always, my ear when you need advice or help, my shoulder when you need to cry, and my hand to walk with you through our adventure of a life together.” As he spoke, I heard his voice almost crack, and I could tell there were tears brewing underneath his eyes. I hated that he was on the brink of crying because I could feel my own tears coming up from inside as well. This is why I was very thankful that I had made sure to use waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Mat continued.

“No matter where our path takes us, don't ever doubt that we'll be walking it together. It doesn't matter where we are or where we go. I'm here for you, I always will be. You've prioritized me for so long, dealt with my hectic hockey schedule, practices, games, road trips, and standing here today in front of you, I promise that I will put you first, put us first. I will always be more interested in you than I am in myself, and most interested in us. You make me a better version of myself and I want to be the man that deserves someone as smart, as caring, as thoughtful, as positive, and as beautiful as you. 

So to wrap this up, I love you and everything about you. I love your smile and how it lights up the room. I love your eyes and how they sparkle when you're talking about something you're passionate about, and I love how you can't stand Nickelback despite my love for it.” The hall echoed with a short moment of laughter, and Mat even chuckled, then continued.

“So, from this day forward, I give myself to you in every single way possible. I love you so much and I can't wait to see where our life takes us.” He finished by holding up an ILY handshape, and I had to suppress the feeling of desire to step into his arms and kiss him.

The officiant smiled, looked at me, then said “alright, now it’s the bride’s turn to try and top that.” Everyone chuckled.

I took a deep breath, dropped Mat’s hands and started signing. 

_Mat. I remember being a little girl and dreaming about my wedding day. I pictured my dress, my family and friends, but most of all, I pictured my Prince Charming. At that time, I didn't know anything about the man who would be standing in front of me, but now, I can't imagine standing in front of anyone else. I realize that you are everything I wanted my prince to be: kind, smart, attractive, supportive, caring, and most of all, my best friend._

_I have so many things I want to say to you right now. First of all, I want to thank you. Thank you for dealing with me and all my craziness, thank you for always being there for me and supporting me, and thank you for always accepting me for who I am. When I first moved to Long Island all those years ago, I was so scared that people would judge me for not being able to talk, but you didn't. You jumped right into learning how to sign for me. And later when I told you why I was hesitant to let you in, you didn't think it was silly. You've always loved me just the way I am, which has boosted my love for myself. That's one of the many reasons why I love you the way I do._

_Secondly, I want to say, for the millionth time, that I love you. I love how when something exciting happens to either of us, we're the first one that we tell. I love that we've been doing life together for so long and that we've gotten to be so good at it. I love that you're my favorite name to see pop up on my phone, my favorite person to hug, my favorite face to see at the end of a long day. You're my adventure when things start to become repetitive and I know that life with you won't ever be boring._ By the time I got to this point, I had to bite back tears, and Mat hadn’t been quite so successful with that. My heart lurched as one tear slipped down his cheek and I felt so full in this moment.

_So, as I stand here today, in front of all my family, friends, and most of all, you, I want to promise you the following things: first, my heart. Honestly, you've always had my heart, and you always will. Secondly, I promise to be faithful to you, supportive of you, and care for you when you're sick. I promise to listen to you and be there for you always. I promise to remain by your side no matter what tries to come in between us._

_Finally Mat, I want to tell you that being with you is my favorite way to spend my time. Since even before we started dating, anywhere you are is home. I feel safest in your arms and I know that with you, the rest of my days will be a dream come true. In these final moments before we become husband and wife, I want you to know that I love you, I have always loved you, and I will love you forever and always._ I ended by holding up an ILY handshape, the same way he had, and he smiled at me, wiping one tear from his eyes. I really didn’t want to cry but I felt like I couldn’t hold off my tears much longer. The love I had was indescribable, all-encompassing, and I couldn’t believe I was about to become his wife. Mrs Barzal.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super short but it's just the end of the wedding:  
> oh my gosh! belle and mat did it, they got married. i hope everyone is liking it so far!

Nico Beauvillier, Liana and Tito’s 18 month old son, was the ring-bearer. With Tito’s help, he walked over and gave Mat my ring. I glanced at everyone’s faces, and they all thought it was adorable. I mean, who wouldn’t? Even the officiant was smiling.

Mat took the ring from Nico and rubbed his head, and I couldn’t help but imagine having our own kids someday. Mat grabbed my hand, and the officiant told him, “repeat after me.”

Mat nodded and glanced between me and him a few times. “I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”

Mat repeated it, and then slid the ring onto my finger, looking back up to meet my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt like just yesterday Mat was walking me into Shake Shack to meet the team, or dropping Liana and I back off at campus after the three of us hung out. Now here I was, just moments away from becoming his wife.

Then Liana took Nico’s hand and walked him over to me. I had to sign the sentence before I could pick up the ring, so Liana stood beside me, still holding Nico’s hand.

The officiant repeated the sentence, then I signed it.  _ I give you this ring as a token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.  _ Then I took the ring from the tiny pillow Nico was holding and placed it on Mat’s finger, again meeting his gaze. He was still smiling, he hadn’t stopped since he first saw me walk down the aisle. 

“Now, hold hands.” Mat immediately reached for my hands and held his eye contact with me. “By virtue of the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Mat looked at the officiant, raised his eyebrows, and asked, “Can I kiss her now?” 

He chuckled. “Yes, you may kiss the bride,” he answered. Mat dropped my hands and moved his to the side of my neck. Then his mouth was on mine and the world fell away. I kissed him back and moved my hands up to his hair. All too soon, he pulled apart, and I remembered the whole team and our families and friends were watching. Had to keep it PG, I guess.

We turned to face the audience, and everyone had stood up, clapping. Mat’s hand had reconnected with mine. We paused for a moment so the photographer could get a few shots, then walked down the two steps and down the rest of the aisle. And now, Mat was officially my husband, and I was officially his wife.


End file.
